Professional Zooming

[Nathan Quattrini]

Originally Posted by Eric Weiss

You need a lanc remote to consistantly control the speed of the zoom.
look into the Canon ZR-2000 and the Canon ZR-1000. i've used the 1000 for years.

Whats the difference besides price....they look about identical on BandH

[Brad Tyrrell]

Ever try to do a single camera shoot of a one performance musical without a zoom?

[Eric Weiss]

The 2000 has the Magnify option and more control over the zoom speed.
I think there's a few more options too.

[Doug Lange]

Brad-

I'm with you on that one. Worse yet is avoiding zoom and trying to cut together 2 performances. I've never seen an actor on stage do the same line exactly the same way in the same spot twice! Then, just to add to the complexity, add a pit orchestra. It doesn't matter how good the conductor is, the tempo is never the same. Ballet is a little easier, though. Even when the dancers aren't in exactly the same spot, a dissolve works wonders.

I am using my HV20 locked down wide and my XH A1 for the other shots. I still use the zoom on the XH A1 but not as much as a single cam shoot. Editing has been much easier, too, with 2 cams and one show to cut between. Since the final product is SD DVD, I can cheat and cut in a shot at about 110% with no loss of SD resolution, which also helps to reduce the need to zoom.

[Brad Tyrrell]

Doug,

Where do you stash the HV20? Or do you have someone watch it?

Ever seen a 8 to 17 year old boy be able to walk by an interesting machine and not go "I wonder what this little dohickey does?"

[Doug Lange]

Although it would be great to have different angles, I keep both cams close to center stage near the back of the house at orchestra level. I block most of the row and half the row in front of the cams. This keeps everyone clear of my equipment. With the HV20 locked wide, I don't even touch it. The house is large enough that this isn't a problem. Plus, I have my HV20 on "Daddy long-legs," a big old Bogen tripod that extends to over 6 feet. I also have the benefit of living in a city and state where people generally leave other people's stuff alone. People just seem to mind their own business.

[Brad Tyrrell]

Originally Posted by Doug Lange

... I also have the benefit of living in a city and state where people generally leave other people's stuff alone. People just seem to mind their own business.

Sounds like Heaven... I just don't see me retiring to Alaska.

"I found it. Hey, it was just sitting there (running). I figured nobody wanted it." "Nobody said anything when I picked it up."

"Oh, I don't need a license to carry that. I just use it for show, mostly."

[Paul R Johnson]

The difference between a zoom and a dolly in is the proportion of the objects in the image. So imagine a person 10 feet away, and another in view behind them 30 feet away - look at their sizes in the shot. Zoom in and the proportion remains the same. Dooly in and the nearest person grows in the frame faster than the person further away. You can do great 'weird' sfx shots using a dolly in and zoom out at the same time - the idsea is you adjust the zoom speed to the dolly in speed, so that the nearest person remains the same size in the shot - but the background knocks your socks off - very surreal and hitchcock/pop vide like. The perspective change as you get closer to an object is the natural way we see things, and a zoom just doesn't give the same effect.

Someone mentioned a pop video without a zoom, when doing single camera. Assuming a bit of editing is possible, shoot some out of context cut-aways - behind shots of the guitarists, the drummer thrashing around, a bit of keyboards without the hands - and then when you need to zoom - do it at a musical edit point every time and do it very quick, using the cutaways to cover the zooms - looks much better

[Brad Tyrrell]

Zoom, dolly, fast juddering pan, jiggle shot, rack focus to nothing, super fast cut series, all a matter of taste these days. I'm still not quite there with the fade to white "6 feet under" look, or the wobbley street cop video, but hey.

I can't really watch half of what's "in", but those guys get paid big bucks and are certainly "professional".

Do what makes your point. (Even if I hate your point)

[James Binder]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

You can make smooth zooms with the Canon if you adjust the zoom control. It even has an auto feathering feature so you don't have to do it yourself.

What zoom control are you reffering to with the auto feathering feature -- on camera? I've not read/heard about the feathering feature...

[Dan Herrmann]

Originally Posted by Brad Tyrrell

Ever try to do a single camera shoot of a one performance musical without a zoom?

I have done many one camera shoots and have had no problem using minimum zoom.
Shoot B roll with the camera during other performances. use SLOW MO on shots to fill time while leaving the audio track intact.
The camera runs for the full performance but the wide shots are used to substitute for the time zooming around.

the only zoom used in performance production is to zoom out slowly. then transition to another angle wide shot then a cut to the close-up again.
Done it a thousand times.
Zooming in then out then in is Uncle Jim and his HI8 production.

[Brad Tyrrell]

Awww.... I liked Uncle Jim's productions.

'Member that one where the sun was right behind little Julie's head and then the projector hung for a second and burned the film? Man, I've tried and tried but can't quite recreate that effect right. Maybe some new plug-ins.

Uhmmm... other performances??